


Pugilist - Crazy Cat Tale Version

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1337]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 16:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20177194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Tony and Gibbs adventures continue in the crazy cat jungle.





	Pugilist - Crazy Cat Tale Version

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jane_x80](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jane_x80/gifts).

> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 12/28/2002 for the word [pugilist](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2002/12/28/pugilist).
> 
> pugilist[ pyoo-juh-list ]  
noun  
a person who fights with the fists; a boxer, usually a professional.
> 
> This is for jane_x80 as it's her comments that led to this series starting. You can find the comments on previous entries in the series. 
> 
> This is a continuation of [Portend](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8885206), [Ratiocination](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8907304), [Equivocate](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8919556)...[Sedition](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12322374), [Transmute](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12516188), [Dolorous](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12611772), [Fatidic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12641916), [Remunerate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12740088), [Conflate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789753), [Bilious](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12815319), [Tintinnabulation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12849654), [Agitprop](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12923004), [Voluble - Crazy Cat Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377990), [Desideratum - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13775349), [Farrago - Crazy Cat Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13813989), [Proclivity - Crazy Cat Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13888944), [Recalcitrant - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14030937), [Collude - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15263964), [Vociferous - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15491991), [Fulminate - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15659430), [Chagrin - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16019081), [Tortuous - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16028429), [Perspicacity - Cracy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16130096), [Hirsute - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16694437), [Recondite - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17473211), [Fortuitous - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18732697), [Legerdemain - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18777826), [Moiety - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18826204), [Mercurial - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18883795), [Effulgence - Crazy Cat Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19101709), [Cadre - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19201240), [Clarion - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19251184), [Beneficence - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19305271), [Foment - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19447312), [Encumbrance - Crazy Cat Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19740205), [Meticulous - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19791220), [Irrefragable - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19897759), [Posit - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20001178), [Propinquity - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20080516), and [Subfusc - Crazy Cat Tale Version](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20121871).
> 
> Note: Since it's been so long since I last wrote something for this series, I had to go back and re-read the series in full. In the process I realized that the story would work better if I tweaked some things. So Jenny is now director wherever Vance was referenced and the Probie/witch is now Ziva. These are the main changes, but feel free to re-read yourself if you want.
> 
> As always comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.

“Technically, you just did.” Tony pointed out.

The jaguar growled and jumped at Tony. Tony dodged and growled back. 

Gibbs jumped to a higher platform in the cat tree. He wasn’t about to take on these cats. His current form was considerably smaller than them, much to his frustration.

He really wanted to be human again. He didn’t understand how he’d turned into a cat. He wasn’t from another realm. 

Heck, even the prophecies called him the human king. This was so annoying. If he were human, he could at least help defend them instead of relying on Tony like he currently was.

He wasn’t a pugilist by any stretch of the imagination, but Marines knew enough hand to hand combat that he was sure it would help. Yarn. Gibbs batted at the yarn completely forgetting about the battle below him.

Tony wasn’t so lucky. He wanted to be playing with the yarn around them, but instead he had to fight this jaguar off. Tony clamped his teeth down hard on the jaguar’s shoulder or at least what would be his shoulder if he were human. 

They tussled and rolled around, alternating who was on top. It wasn’t easy to stay on the little platform, but they were both managing. Finally, Tony got a good shove in and knocked the other cat off the platform.

Of course, that didn’t do anything other than anger it as it immediately leapt back up to continue attacking Tony. So far Tony had managed to avoid any serious injuries, but he wasn’t sure how long that would last. He couldn’t help feeling like there was something else that he was supposed to be doing. 

He really wanted to play with the yarn, but the jaguar and his friends clearly wouldn’t let him. He continued to fight, taking a chunk out of the jaguar’s leg. The jaguar yelped and redoubled his efforts. 

Tony was tiring. He wasn’t used to fighting in this form and this nagging feeling that he was forgetting something kept bothering him. He glanced up.

Gibbs was still happily playing on the perch above them. Wait. Gibbs. 

He was supposed to be working on turning Gibbs back to human. How had he forgotten that? With a renewed sense of purpose, Tony jumped up. Grabbing the nape of Gibbs’ neck, he landed on the path below with Gibbs securely clutched in his mouth. 

Gibbs let out a protesting yowl, but Tony ignored it. It was time for them to continue their journey to see the old lady. They had already lost too much time in this damn cat tree forest. Tony still wasn’t sure what had come over him that had made him forget their quest.

Gibbs had forgotten it as well, though. Tony trotted off down the path leaving the other cats hissing and snarling, “And don’t come back.”

So much for being Cat King. Clearly, that didn’t matter to this woodland kitties. Still, Tony couldn’t help wondering what had come over both of them.

Could this forest be enchanted? Was this related to why Gibbs was a cat? Was it not safe to be in cat form?

Were they slowly reverting to normal cats? So many questions ran through Tony’s mind and he didn’t have answers for any of them. It did convince him to redouble his efforts to find the crazy cat lady. 

In fact, he switched back to his human form grabbing Gibbs and setting him on his shoulder as he continued to walk through the forest with 2 packs strapped on him. It was already darkening as night approached and Tony couldn’t believe they’d lost almost a whole extra day in that cat playground. He hoped they didn’t have a timeline because they were blowing it out of the water if they did.

Gibbs protested leaving the playground, but Tony was firm and wouldn’t let him escape despite numerous attempts on Gibbs’ part to do just that. Fortunately, Gibbs fell asleep not too much later, which made Tony’s life a whole lot easier. Of course, that didn’t make it any less long.

It just meant he didn’t have to chase the panther cub all over the place or grab him before he got too far. As he continued down the path he could feel something calling to him. Something that wanted him to play with the yarn. 

Tony yawned. He was getting tired and the damn compulsion to play with the yarn in the cat trees above them was driving him crazy. He was glad that Gibbs was still asleep and thus unaffected by whatever was going on in this kitty forest. 

At this point in time, he was convinced that the entire cat tree forest was covered in catnip or something because it wasn’t usually this hard for him to keep focused on things regardless of which form he was in. He wondered how much more of this forest he would have to traverse. 

It was almost pitch black now and he definitely needed to find a place to stop for the night, but the forest didn’t look to be ending anytime soon. Apparently, they would have to spend at least one more night in the forest. The only question was, did he dare transform into a cat and possibly have a repeat of what happened today?

It was a lot easier to deal with the backpacks if he transformed, instead of having to figure out how to get them back on after taking them off so that he could reasonably sleep in human form, but it might not be worth it if it would lead to another wasted day. On the other hand, this wasn’t anything like the human world. There were no inns or houses or anything that he could stay at for a night.

Pretty much the entire jungle was filled with cat trees and other various forms of cat toys. There really wasn’t a good spot for a human to sleep, which made turning into a cat again seem logical. Tony just feared what would happen in the morning if he did so, especially as he had no idea how much more of this forest they had to traverse before they would find the desert Rupert mentioned.

**Author's Note:**

> The dictionary.com series has 10 stories already written for it after this one, so I will be posting at least 10 stories before I stop posting again. I have no Crazy Cat Tale updates written, but hopefully I'll get more written this weekend. Wish me luck!
> 
> It's 2019 now and I have closed my 2018 Prompt collection, but fear not my 2019 Prompt Collection is now open [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2019/profile). Just click the sign up link. ;) It will remain open until the beginning of 2020. I'm hoping to complete all the 2019 prompts by the end of 2020. Do not fear I have not forgotten about the 2018 prompts and will continue working through them. It's just easier for me to not get overwhelmed if I keep the prompts separated by the year they were given to me.
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes. Please note if you have already voted in the poll and would like to request more stories you can just add a comment to the poll. Please include the name along with the prompt, so that I can appropriately gift the prompt to you.
> 
> For any authors that want to chat and/or are looking for a place where they can toss plot ideas around and get input from people, you can come join my discord server that is specifically geared towards writing/encouraging people to write and authors. The invite link is [here](https://discord.gg/HFvwpCq). If you're not an author, but want to chat with me about writing/stories or anything else you are welcome to join. I reserve the right to boot you from my server if all you do is pester me about updates, however. *grin* Really anyone who wants to talk about writing and/or plot ideas for various stories is welcome to join. 
> 
> I do not currently have a discord dedicated to my stories. If anyone would be interested in joining a group chat server that is focused on my stories please comment below. Also, if you would like such a thing what kind of things would you like to know about? Please share those with me.
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them. 


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